Clothesline rack



April 5, 1955 H. M. LOWE 2,705,567

CLOTHESLINE RACK Filed Sept. 19, 1950 9 INVENTOR.

fi/cz ro /o M. Lowe 5% 95% nited States Patent CLOTHESLINE RACK HaroldM. Lowe, Warren, Pa.

Application September 19, 1950, Serial No. 185,641

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-11915) This invention relates generally toclothesline racks and more particularly to the structure and the mannerof mak' ing and assembling a clothesline rack.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a clotheslinerack that is simple in structure and economical to manufacture andassemble. rack provides improvements making it convenient and very easyto be set up and taken down. It provides a very large capacity forreceiving clothes in a very small space and it may be taken down andstored in a much smaller space than any clothes drying rack ofequivalent capacity.

The popular demountable clothes drying racks in present use have acentral support and are provided with hinged members that unfold andextend the line. Such structures are cumbersome to set up and are verytall when collapsed. The structure comprising this invention leaves thewhole of the clothes hanging area clear and free of posts or supports,making it easy to hang the clothes without interference and without fearof them flapping against a post or support that is apt to collect andcarry dirt.

Another advantage of the structure comprising. this invention is in thesimplicity in setting up and making the multiple lines taut by adjustingthe transverse members. It is a material advantage not to have a fixedgauge in stretching the multiple lines as they stretch and sag.

The structure providing these objects and advantages is constructed withparallel rails spaced apart and having closely and uniformly spaced linesupporting means which may be in the form of eyescrews, links, pins,holes or slots through or around which a single piece of clothesline maypass when woven from one rail to another. When the clotheslinesupporting means on both rails have the same spacing the multiple passesback and forth of the clothesline are parallel to each other. Theparallel rails are held apart by rigid spacers which function byadjustment to spread the rails against the stretch of the multiplestrands of clothesline extending therebetween. Every time the rack isset up the spreaders may be adjusted to streach the lines taut.

The rack thus comprises four principal frame members, the two rails andthe two spacers and when assembled to stretch the clothesline the racksmay be hung as a unit by suspension from a ceiling or from posts ortrees, or it may be supported on spaced posts which have upwardly opensockets to receive the rails. Hoisting lines may be used for suspendingthe rack from the ceiling and when not in use it may be left togetherbut pulled up out of the way. This is particularly advantageous forpeople who live in small apartments or dwellings where space is limited.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the followingdescription and claims.

The accompanying drawings show, for the purpose of exemplificationwithout limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practicalembodiments of the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the clothes rack comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a rail taken on the line 33 ofFig. 1 and showing supporting posts for the rail.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

This clothesline Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view showingone character of clothesline supporting means.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a spreader and the mannerof adjusting the same.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a different type of support for theclothes drying rack comprising this invention.

Referring principally to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the clothes rackcomprises the rail members 1 and 2 and the spreader cross members 3 and4. The rail members 1 and 2 are made up of channel-shaped metal members5, as shown in Fig. 3, which comprise a closed channel with alongitudinal slot, as indicated at 6. These channel members may beconstructed of any suitable metal such as aluminum and are preferablyformed to position the longitudinal slot 6 in the center of the channelmember. However it may be positioned above or below the center.

Each of the rail channel members 5 is provided with a suitable filler orspacer block 7 which consists of a strip of wood of equal length to thechannel member and having a series of uniformly spaced transverse slots8 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The filler strip 7 may be molded ofplastic material or it may be constructed from a wide board in which aseries of uniformly spaced transverse slots 8 are cut. After the boardhas been cut to provide the transverse slots it may be ripped intosections to provide the strip 7 of proper width. The strip 7 is notquite as wide as the depth of the channel 5. However the back 9 of thechannel member may be constructed of different shape than that shown, solong as there is ample space for the reception of the clothesline 10after it passes through the slot 8 and across the back of the spacermember 7 to the next succeeding slot.

A gauge is erected to support two of the spacer members 7 in properspaced relation that will represent the clothesline rack in its finalform. The spacer members are thus held rigidly in this position while aclothesline 10 which is knotted in one end is woven across the space andin the several slots to provide a multiple series of parallel lines suchas illustrated in Fig. 1. When the line has been woven back and forthuntil it completely fills the spacer members the channel member 5 isslid over the end of the spacer members 7 so as to close the top of theslots of the spacer members and thus maintain the clothesline inposition as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

A clip 11 is inserted over the open end of each of the channel membersand a nail or other fastening means 12 is inserted through the clip andthe channel member into the spacer member for the purpose of holding theclip 11 in place and to maintain the end of the rail closed. A similarclip 13 is provided intermediate of the ends of each rail for thepurpose of holding the channel member in its proper shape, thuspermitting the channel member 5 to be constructed of light gauge metal.The clips 13 are secured to the rails 5 in the same manner as the clips11. This construction not only strengthens the filler member togetherwith the channel member but also provides a neat appearing device whichwill maintain the multiple parallel clotheslines in parallel relationwith each other and always maintain the length of each section of theclothesline equivalent to the other sections. After the clothesline hasbeen woven through the slots of the spacer members and the channel hasbeen inserted thereover it is substantially impossible to move the onepass of the clothesline relative to the other owing to the friction thatthe clothesline is subjected to when engaging the corners 14 of theslots 8 as illustrated in Fig. 5.. Thus once the clothesline rack hasbeen assembled it will maintain a uniform spacing throughout its usefullife.

The spreader members 3 and 4 are shown in detail in Fig. 6 whichprovides for a transverse member 15 of substantially the same length asthat of the rack. The spreaders 15 may be constructed of wood or of themetal channel members as shown at 1 and 2. One end of the spreadermember 15 has an angle bracket 16 secured thereto by the through bolt17. This angle bracket provides two sockets 18 and 19 which are arrangedto hook over the rail 2 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bolt 17 is nearerto socket 19 than to socket 18 and by turning the bracket 16 eithersocket may be employed. Socket 19 being closer to the bolt will providegreater distance between the rails than socket 18 thus permitting atake-up adjustment of the lines. The opposite end of the spreader memberis provided with a bracket 20 which is secured by the screw 21 and isdisposed downwardly over the end of the spreader member 15 as indicatedat 22. The downwardly projecting portion 22 of the bracket 20 isprovided with an opening 23 through which the adjusting screw 24extends. The adjusting screw 24 has a handle 25 and a washer thrustbearing member 26 which maintains the position of the screw 24 fixedrelative to the bracket 20. The other end of the screw 24 is threaded asindicated at 27 and extends through a bored opening 28 and 29 of thechannel member 5 and the spacer member 7, respectively. After passingthrough the channel member 5 the outer end of the threaded section 27 isengaged in the threaded bore 30 of the clip 31 which is movable relativeto the spreader 15 but is clipped onto the channel member 5 in a mannervery similar to the clip 13. For short clothesline sections it may bepreferable to eliminate the clips 13 as the clips 31 provide the samefunction. When the rail 1 is inserted in the slot 18 formed by thebracket 16 and the rail 2 is inserted in the clip 31 with the adjustablescrews 24 extending therethrough, the latter may be rotated to pull theclip 31 longitudinally of the spreader and thus stretch the multiplestrands of the clothesline 10. In this way the rails 1 and 2 are spreadapart and the clothesline is drawn taut. If additional takeup isrequired the adjacent screws 24 are released and the bracket 16 isrotated to utilize the socket 19.

In view of the fact that the rails must be drilled to receive thethreaded adjusting screws 24 the spreaders 15 are unable to movelongitudinally of the rails 1 and 2 and they thus provide a rigidrectangular frame.

A pair of spaced upright posts such as illustrated at 33 may beflattened at their upper ends as indicated at 34 and provided with anupwardly open trough-shaped channel section 35 having a rear flange 36forming an angle 37 in which the rail member 5 can be pivoted forswinging the same into position with the diagonally opposite corner asindicated at 38 scribing the are of the lip 40. Thus the rail membersmay be inserted into the bracket members 35 but when the spreadermembers are adjusted to spread the rails 1 and 2 apart to form a rigidrectangular frame the rail members cannot pivot about the corner 37 andare thus held by the bracket 35.

The spaced upright posts 33 carrying the brackets 35 may be suflicientlyflexible to be slightly spread by the spreader members without exertingforce on the bracket 35. If on the other hand the upright posts 33 arefairly rigid and are properly spaced the rail members 1 and 2 may besupported thereby and the spreader members 15 may be dispensed with.

Each of the rail members 1 and 2 may be provided with the opening 29spaced from one end thereof for receiving the threaded adjusting screw24. Thus the rails may be duplicates of each other. However theadjusting head of the spreaders will be on one side at one end of therail and on the other side at the other end of the rail. In this wayonly one opening 29 need be drilled through the rail and thecorresponding filler member as shown in Fig. 1. Thus each rail 1 and 2is a duplicate of one another and each of the spreaders are duplicatesof one another, which simplifies the manufacturing of this clothes rack.

Referring to the modification of Fig. 7 the supporting brackets 41 aresecured as by welding to the flattened tubes 42. The tubes 42 may bedetachably set over posts or pipes to enable the user to remove theclothesline rack from the yard for the purpose of suspending it in thecellar. These brackets 41 are U-shaped and have outwardly extendingflanges 43 and 44. A slot 45 is placed in the upper bracket to receivethe bolt 46 which has a ball head 47 that enables the bolt to swingupwardly and permit the rails 1 and 2 of the clothes rack to beinserted. The bolts 47 are then lowered in the slots 48 and aretightened by the wing nuts 50 to rigidly hold the rack in position.

While for clarity of explanation certain embodiments of this inventionhave been shown and described it is to be understood that this inventionis capable of many modifications, and changes in the construction andarrangement may be made therein and certain parts may be employed withthe conjoint use of other parts and withon; dleparting from the spiritand scope of this invention.

c am:

1. A clothesline rack comprising a pair of spaced adjustable railmembers each made up of a light channel having their flanged edgesturned toward each other and disposed in spaced relation to form acontinuous slot with the ends of said members being open, a clotheslinespacer slidable into the end of each channel and engaging the innerfaces of both sides and the inturned flanges but spaced from the bottomof said channel between the inner faces of both sides, means defining aseries of spaced transverse openings forming blocks in said spacers withsaid openings being in line with the continuous slot of said channel,and a clothesline woven between corresponding openings and in back ofalternate blocks of said spacers in a progressive series and knotted atthe end openings with the clothesline extending through the continuousslots of each channel and having the knots together with the portion ofthe line passing in back of said blocks enclosed within the channelsbetween the back of said blocks and the bottom of each channel and meansfor securing each spacer in engagement with the inner faces of bothsides and the inturned flanges of each channel.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes arigid C-shaped bracket for each channel, the back of each bracketextending across the continuous slot of the channel with its endsengaging the outer opposite sides of the channel to prevent said flangededges from spreading to open said continuous slot.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said last mentioned means alsoincludes pin means extending through said bracket and the channel sideto engage said spacer block to retain it in the channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS611,503 Parker Sept. 27, 1898 911,651 Erickson Feb. 9, 1909 950,859Michaud Mar. 1, 1910 951,628 Buckingham Mar. 8, 1910 1,050,395Schleicher Jan. 14, 1913 1,252,240 Clawson Jan. 1,1918 1,509,407MacQuarrie Sept. 23, 1924 1,873,762 Hauf Aug. 23, 1932 1,896,996Beglinger Feb. 7, 1933 2,040,746 Kniedler May 12, 1936 2,306,682 ZumwaltDec. 29, 1942 2,309,212 Reeves Ian. 26, 1943 2,345,232 Boushelle Mar.28, 1944 2,479,137 Schudy Aug. 16, 1949 2,519,830 Fink Aug. 22, 1950

